SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
RECORD GROUP NUMBER
RG 143
Weiser Hall Records,
ca. 1921 -
Written by
Jeffrey Monseau
February, 2013
Shelf space occupied .25 linear feet
Number of boxes 1 box Weiser Hall Records Page 2
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
INFORMATION ON USE OF THE COLLECTION
TERMS OF ACCESS AND USE
Unrestricted
PREFERRED CITATION
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information (in addition to any other information required by the citation style being used):
RG143 – Weiser Hall Records, box #, folder #, Archives and Special Collections, Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.
HISTORY OF THE COLLECTION
There was no formal acquisition of the materials for this collection. The collection is artificially created. Materials were received from different places at different times. The Acquisition sources and dates of the materials are unknown.
Collection arranged by Jeffrey Monseau during 2012, but the finding aid was not completed until February, 2013.
ARRANGEMENT
Since this is an artificially created collection there is no original order. The collection is organized as follows as follows: floor plans, news articles, dedication materials, and photographs of the interior and exterior of the building. Other than digitized items, there is no particular order within the folders.
Weiser Hall Records Page 3
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
RELATED MATERIALS
In Archives and Special Collections, Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.:
Digital Collections – For all Digital Images of Photographs and Documents
Springfield College Building and Grounds Records
Springfield College Trustee Records
Springfield College Marketing and Communication Records--Scrapbooks and News Clippings
RG142 – Towne Student Health Center Records
SEARCH TERMS AND SUBJECTS
The following terms represent persons, organizations, and topics documented in this collection.
Springfield College
Springfield College--Buildings
Weiser Hall
Infirmary
Health Center
Sprague, H. L.
Ley, Fred T.
Medical Gymnastics
Karpovich, Peter
Physiology Laboratory
Weiser Hall Records Page 4
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
In 1920, Clifton A. Crocker, a member of the Executive Board of both Springfield College and Hampden Hospital presented the need for an infirmary on campus. At this time, Hampden Hospital, located on the corner of State and Thompson Streets in Springfield, had closed its doors. Through the efforts of Crocker and hospital administrator Walter R. Weiser, they turned its financial assets over to charitable causes. On June 3, 1920, a pledge was signed by Hampden Hospital to turnover $40,000 of these assets to the college for use towards the construction of an infirmary.
Work on the new school infirmary was scheduled to begin in the spring of 1921. It was estimated that the infirmary and its attached medical gymnastics facilities would cost around $180,000. Funding came from the greater community as well as the college community. The architect for the project was H.L. Sprague. The general contractor was Fred T. Ley.
The building was designed as a 3 stories high building, with the ground floor 3 feet below ground level. The building was 93 feet long and 44 feet wide, brick construction with granite trimmings. The rear of the building provided a 2-story high gymnasium for “medical gymnastics.” ‘Medical gymnastics’ was a forerunner of the athletic training program. The building also included hydro-therapy facilities, 4 operating rooms, and the entire third floor served as the college infirmary. The exact configuration of this
Summer school students worked to clear the building site and to raise funds for the project in 1921. Construction began in the late summer, with the laying of the cornerstone on September 27, 1922. The building opened in January 1923 as the Walter Rupert Weiser Infirmary.
Up until 1971, when the student infirmary was relocated to the renovated Electric Co. Building, the Towne Student Health Center, Weiser served its original purpose as the college’s infirmary. A local newspaper article in January 1922 reports the planned facility would “benefit the community with treatment of crippled children and those suffering after effects of infantile paralysis. Over 2,000 treated over past year with positive results.” The 1923 Yearbook said that “The building is designed for the reconstruction of re-education, and of post-operative cases and others who have lost their grip in physical and mental ways, and is fully equipped with the most modern apparatus for this type of work.” From 1938 the basement of Weiser housed the labs and classrooms of Dr. Peter Karpovich, the premier exercise physiologist in the U.S. at this time.
After 1971, the building was reused as home to the humanities department, housing offices, classrooms, a TV studio, and journalism. The building was saved from demolition when infirmary was moved by the intervention of Facilities Director Vin Swanberg, who did a review of the structure and said that “it should not be razed.” In 2006 the building was further renovated, improving handicapped access, updating TV studio, and added classroom facilities
CHRONOLOGICAL
1920 Clifton A. Crocker proposes Infirmary on campus; Hampden Hospital closes
1921 Land cleared and construction begins; Land is cleared by Summer School students Weiser Hall Records Page 5
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
1922 September 27 – Cornerstone Ceremony
1923 January – Building is opened
1938 Basement houses labs and classrooms of Dr. Peter Karpovich, premier exercise physiologist
1938 New Floor to be added to medical gymnasium for classrooms and the addition of a physiology laboratory
1971 Student Infirmary relocated to Towne Student Health Center; Weiser repurposed asa Humanities Department offices and classrooms
2006 Renovation of Weiser interior
Biography and Chronology written by Sheila Thompson with review and changes by Yang Liu and Nicole DeCristoforo, 2013
Weiser Hall Records Page 6
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
SCOPE AND CONTENT
This collection documents Weiser Hall from its construction and original use as the college’s infirmary to its renovations and use by the Humanities departments. Included in the collection are copies of floor plans; newspaper articles both from outside newspapers and the Student on its construction and cornerstone laying in 1922; a speech, both print and VHS video, from the dedication ceremony held in 2006 to dedicate its latest renovations; a list of items in the cornerstone; and photographs of the construction, including the students and Springfield College president Dr. Laurence L. Doggett clearing the land, the cornerstone laying ceremony, and the exterior throughout the years.
Weiser Hall Records Page 7
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
Folder List
BOX
FOLDER
CONTENTS
DATE
DIGITAL
1
1
General Information
N/A
No Digital Files
1
2
Floor Plans/Blue Prints
Undated
No Digital Files
1
3
News Articles
1921-1922
Digital Files
1
4
Ribbon Cutting and Open House Materials (VHS tape & speech text)
2006-03-29
No Digital Files
1
5
Laying of Cornerstone (articles)
1922-08-29
No Digital Files
1
6
List of items in Cornerstone (2 copies)
1922
No Digital Files
1
7
Photographs: Laying of Cornerstone
1922-08-29
Digital Files
1
8
Photographs: Construction
1922?
Digital Files
1
9
Photographs: Exterior
1922-2001?
Digital Files
1
10
Maintenance Correspondence
1923
No Digital Files

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SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
RECORD GROUP NUMBER
RG 143
Weiser Hall Records,
ca. 1921 -
Written by
Jeffrey Monseau
February, 2013
Shelf space occupied .25 linear feet
Number of boxes 1 box Weiser Hall Records Page 2
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
INFORMATION ON USE OF THE COLLECTION
TERMS OF ACCESS AND USE
Unrestricted
PREFERRED CITATION
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information (in addition to any other information required by the citation style being used):
RG143 – Weiser Hall Records, box #, folder #, Archives and Special Collections, Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.
HISTORY OF THE COLLECTION
There was no formal acquisition of the materials for this collection. The collection is artificially created. Materials were received from different places at different times. The Acquisition sources and dates of the materials are unknown.
Collection arranged by Jeffrey Monseau during 2012, but the finding aid was not completed until February, 2013.
ARRANGEMENT
Since this is an artificially created collection there is no original order. The collection is organized as follows as follows: floor plans, news articles, dedication materials, and photographs of the interior and exterior of the building. Other than digitized items, there is no particular order within the folders.
Weiser Hall Records Page 3
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
RELATED MATERIALS
In Archives and Special Collections, Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.:
Digital Collections – For all Digital Images of Photographs and Documents
Springfield College Building and Grounds Records
Springfield College Trustee Records
Springfield College Marketing and Communication Records--Scrapbooks and News Clippings
RG142 – Towne Student Health Center Records
SEARCH TERMS AND SUBJECTS
The following terms represent persons, organizations, and topics documented in this collection.
Springfield College
Springfield College--Buildings
Weiser Hall
Infirmary
Health Center
Sprague, H. L.
Ley, Fred T.
Medical Gymnastics
Karpovich, Peter
Physiology Laboratory
Weiser Hall Records Page 4
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
In 1920, Clifton A. Crocker, a member of the Executive Board of both Springfield College and Hampden Hospital presented the need for an infirmary on campus. At this time, Hampden Hospital, located on the corner of State and Thompson Streets in Springfield, had closed its doors. Through the efforts of Crocker and hospital administrator Walter R. Weiser, they turned its financial assets over to charitable causes. On June 3, 1920, a pledge was signed by Hampden Hospital to turnover $40,000 of these assets to the college for use towards the construction of an infirmary.
Work on the new school infirmary was scheduled to begin in the spring of 1921. It was estimated that the infirmary and its attached medical gymnastics facilities would cost around $180,000. Funding came from the greater community as well as the college community. The architect for the project was H.L. Sprague. The general contractor was Fred T. Ley.
The building was designed as a 3 stories high building, with the ground floor 3 feet below ground level. The building was 93 feet long and 44 feet wide, brick construction with granite trimmings. The rear of the building provided a 2-story high gymnasium for “medical gymnastics.” ‘Medical gymnastics’ was a forerunner of the athletic training program. The building also included hydro-therapy facilities, 4 operating rooms, and the entire third floor served as the college infirmary. The exact configuration of this
Summer school students worked to clear the building site and to raise funds for the project in 1921. Construction began in the late summer, with the laying of the cornerstone on September 27, 1922. The building opened in January 1923 as the Walter Rupert Weiser Infirmary.
Up until 1971, when the student infirmary was relocated to the renovated Electric Co. Building, the Towne Student Health Center, Weiser served its original purpose as the college’s infirmary. A local newspaper article in January 1922 reports the planned facility would “benefit the community with treatment of crippled children and those suffering after effects of infantile paralysis. Over 2,000 treated over past year with positive results.” The 1923 Yearbook said that “The building is designed for the reconstruction of re-education, and of post-operative cases and others who have lost their grip in physical and mental ways, and is fully equipped with the most modern apparatus for this type of work.” From 1938 the basement of Weiser housed the labs and classrooms of Dr. Peter Karpovich, the premier exercise physiologist in the U.S. at this time.
After 1971, the building was reused as home to the humanities department, housing offices, classrooms, a TV studio, and journalism. The building was saved from demolition when infirmary was moved by the intervention of Facilities Director Vin Swanberg, who did a review of the structure and said that “it should not be razed.” In 2006 the building was further renovated, improving handicapped access, updating TV studio, and added classroom facilities
CHRONOLOGICAL
1920 Clifton A. Crocker proposes Infirmary on campus; Hampden Hospital closes
1921 Land cleared and construction begins; Land is cleared by Summer School students Weiser Hall Records Page 5
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
1922 September 27 – Cornerstone Ceremony
1923 January – Building is opened
1938 Basement houses labs and classrooms of Dr. Peter Karpovich, premier exercise physiologist
1938 New Floor to be added to medical gymnasium for classrooms and the addition of a physiology laboratory
1971 Student Infirmary relocated to Towne Student Health Center; Weiser repurposed asa Humanities Department offices and classrooms
2006 Renovation of Weiser interior
Biography and Chronology written by Sheila Thompson with review and changes by Yang Liu and Nicole DeCristoforo, 2013
Weiser Hall Records Page 6
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
SCOPE AND CONTENT
This collection documents Weiser Hall from its construction and original use as the college’s infirmary to its renovations and use by the Humanities departments. Included in the collection are copies of floor plans; newspaper articles both from outside newspapers and the Student on its construction and cornerstone laying in 1922; a speech, both print and VHS video, from the dedication ceremony held in 2006 to dedicate its latest renovations; a list of items in the cornerstone; and photographs of the construction, including the students and Springfield College president Dr. Laurence L. Doggett clearing the land, the cornerstone laying ceremony, and the exterior throughout the years.
Weiser Hall Records Page 7
Archives and Special Collections
Babson Library, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
Folder List
BOX
FOLDER
CONTENTS
DATE
DIGITAL
1
1
General Information
N/A
No Digital Files
1
2
Floor Plans/Blue Prints
Undated
No Digital Files
1
3
News Articles
1921-1922
Digital Files
1
4
Ribbon Cutting and Open House Materials (VHS tape & speech text)
2006-03-29
No Digital Files
1
5
Laying of Cornerstone (articles)
1922-08-29
No Digital Files
1
6
List of items in Cornerstone (2 copies)
1922
No Digital Files
1
7
Photographs: Laying of Cornerstone
1922-08-29
Digital Files
1
8
Photographs: Construction
1922?
Digital Files
1
9
Photographs: Exterior
1922-2001?
Digital Files
1
10
Maintenance Correspondence
1923
No Digital Files

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